


White Paper, Black Ink

by HeathNils



Category: Fairy Tail
Genre: Age Altered Characters, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Assistant!Freed, Crimes & Criminals, From Bad to Good, From Good to Bad, LaLu - Freeform, M/M, Novelist!Rufus, OrIno(?), Orga x Yukino, Prior Marriage
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-09-24
Packaged: 2020-04-07 03:48:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19076869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeathNils/pseuds/HeathNils
Summary: "Don't rush into love. Remember that even in fairytales, the happy endings always take place on the last page."- UnknownFreed is simply looking to start over, move to a new town, get a new life, a new job and to escape the past life, the works. Freed gets a job as an assistant to a well-known and one of his favorite novelists named Rufus and he moves to the quiet town of Ione where everyone knows everyone and meets with Rufus where their relationship morphs into something else just as Freed's past comes back to haunt him.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> And binge-watching strikes again!
> 
> I was once again watching Forensic Files and couldn't stop getting the images of Freed Justine, Rogue Cheney and/or Natsu Dragneel in the victim's position (though they remain alive in every imagined scenario, don't worry). I can't be blamed as they are just way too pretty and perfect for the victim roles, so perfect for the kidnapping and hostage roles and so pretty for bondage and tying up portions! And now the mental images of them in bondage is forever engraved in my mind.
> 
> I am a horrible human being.
> 
> Freed, Rogue and Natsu, y u make good helpless victims?!

Freed Justine's life was like a roller coaster.

Freed was born in the early Autumn, in late September to Llewyn Capell and Silvia Justine. He was the result of a tryst between an already married middle-aged man and a teen aged woman. After he had been born, his mother turned to drugs and prostitution, disappeared with man after man until one day, she left one night and never came back. He was with his grandparents, Stephan and Lethe Justine when police found his mother dead on the side of a deserted road three days later.

He had been living with them ever since.

He had no idea what became of his father. All his grandparents could tell him was that he simply disappeared after that night. Nobody had seen him since that night and whatever information his mother may have had on his whereabouts had died with her but he didn't allow that to discourage him.

Reading and writing was his security blanket.

Freed became a bright young boy, thanks to his grandmother, the smartest in his school, in his little home town of Magnolia and growing up he loved to read, reading whatever book he could get his hands on and would write short stories in hope of one day being a novelist or a writer himself. He was a shy, quiet, hard-working, straight A+ student and was in variety of after school programs that kept him busy in part of his grandfather who didn't want Freed to fall wayward like his mother. He had a wonderful group of friends, great teachers and very supportive grandparents but at 16, both his grandparents were killed in automobile accident, leaving Freed alone and he was adopted by his best friend Laxus and his grandfather until he turned 19.

Despite hard times, he still remained optimistic.

He went to college of his dreams and there he met Santiago Martìnez and the two men fell in love and married a year later once the law that allowed same-sex marriage had been passed in the entire land of Fiore while he was still in college. Five months into their marriage things became sour, Santiago dropped out of college, they argued, they fought, they screamed to the point Freed eventually became scared and fearful for his own safety as his husband became more and more aggressive and violent. After a year full of fear, uncertainty and insecurities, Freed, with the encouragement and support of Laxus and their closest friends, finally filed a police report against Santiago and filed for divorce while he was serving time in jail.

He thought it was over.

Freed moved in with Laxus and his wife while he finished his last year at college when things became nerve-wracking; His ex-husband, Santiago had eventually found him after having gotten out of jail on bail and was trying to get back together with Freed, to start over and give their relationship a second chance. Freed wanted to at first but after talking to Levy and Lucy and thinking it over, he decided against it and told him to leave him alone but it served to aggravate the man as he became obsessive, started to call him, text him, stalked him, telling him he loved him and promising harm to any and all his friends if they continued to keep them apart. Freed become became terrified to the point he refused to leave the guestroom, he became skittish, paranoid, he couldn't sleep, he stopped eating, he lost an alarming amount of weight and it would be another year when Freed finished his degree when he-- with Laxus and Lucy by his side-- found the courage once more to file another police report and gained a restraining order against him.

He took a deep breath and had decided to start over.

Once he graduated, Freed began to look for work to pay off his student loans as he waited for his chance at novel writing and he had the biggest break he ever had in his short 25 years. A friend of Laxus', who lived in the remote farming town of Ione, contacted him and told him that after a long battle, he finally got the close friend of his, a reclusive novelist whose works Freed fell in love with during his time in college, to need an assistant; a caretaker from the sounds of it, to help (and look after the friend hinted rather heavily) the novelist with his work and his daily life. Upon hearing that, Freed thought that he might babysit a possible elderly man who lived in a likely dilapidated house, would likely be perverted, confuse him for a woman, make inappropriate passes at him and likely suffered from a long laundry list of mental and health disabilities. He became discouraged but Laxus' friend was quick to assure him he had nothing to worry about.

The reclusive man was only a couple years older then Freed.

The friend continued to assure him that the novelist was very healthy, quite intelligent (Freed almost laughed at the friend's annoyance behind the single word) but it was that the novelist was just a quiet and private man; preferring his space, peace and quiet. Freed, now re-motivated, jumped on the job and was quick to agree to drive two hours out to Ione the coming weekend with Laxus and his wife to meet up with Laxus' friend; who revealed his name to be Orga Nanagear and his own wife for a coffee to further discuss the job and meet with the novelist at his home. Freed was excited; he would not only get to meet one of his favorite authors and help him with his day-to-day life but he would meet one of his favorite authors who was no older then he was but also had the same interests, passions, likes and dislikes.

All he could do now was to count down to the weekend.


	2. Ione

"Oh my gosh! Can you actually believe this?!"

"I know. I'm just as excited."

"We're meeting Rufus Lore! THE RUFUS LORE! He's like, one of my favorite authors, EVER!"

"He was the first to perfectly master writing novels of Historical, Mystery, Mythology, Fantasy, Romance and Science Fiction and was rewarded the Pulitzer, Nobel and Hugo awards."

"Guys... We're only meeting an old buddy of mine who's a friend of his--"

"Orga said he'd try to get him to join us--"

"Yeah but he also said not to have high hopes--"

"Oooo~ Have you heard that he came out with a new book series; It's called _**The Traveler's Journal**_! I read the first one; **_The Town's Scars_**."

"He has only one book out and while I can't deny that there are rumors he has book in the making and he hasn't released much about it; plot, characters. How can you be sure that it'll even be a series?"

"Rufus is just that great! And plus we all know what open endings mean Freed. We all read his past works and he just knows how to write a good book; fiction and non-fiction."

"He does know how to make the readers feel like they are part of the story."

"Right?! It's like he was there himself!"

"Freed-- Babe-- My ears."

"Ah-- Sorry Laxus."

"Yeah. Sorry Sweetie."

"It's fine. Just tone it down a bit. This is a small truck, okay?"

"Okay."

Nobody can really blame Freed Justine or Lucy Dreyar for being a little excited. After all, how often did one meet one of Fiore's top novelists and how often did one get to work as an assistant for one?

Not often.

Freed was mostly excited for the fact that this was also a chance for him to begin his career as a writer himself, to start a new life. He was slim and lean, almost feminine in appearance that served to be an endless source of trouble for the 25 year old. He had bright, almost crystal-blue eyes, beneath the left one lied a small beauty mark and long waist-length emerald green hair that was tied up into a high ponytail with the bangs brushed to one side, hiding the right side of his face. What drew most people's attention to him, when it wasn't his rather feminine appearance, it was a pair of thin lightning bolt shaped strands of hair that jutted out backwards from the sides of his head.

"I'm actually a little nervous in meeting him." Freed sighed looking out the window. "What if... What if I can't do this? What if I mess this up? Prove I can't do it."

"You'll be fine." Laxus smiled, placing a large hand over Freed's own, giving it a gentle squeeze. "You can do this. I know you can."

"If you're sure--"

"I am."

Freed couldn't help the small chuckle and gave him a watery smile; If anyone knew Freed better then anyone else it would be Laxus. They had known each other since they first met in grade school playground where the older man had stood up to a bunch of kids that constantly bullied Freed, beating them all to a bloody pulp and then offering the small and shy greenette his hand in friendship-- One that Freed never regret taking. Laxus was a rather tall and muscular man with dark orange eyes and wild blond hair that he somehow tamed back, its numerous spiky strands pointing backwards, though some falls down in a small tuft on his forehead. He has a distinct lightning bolt-shaped scar on his right eye, a souvenir from a car accident that he gotten involved with when he was in his teens and possessed a large tribal tattoo on the left side of his rib cage, which extends up to his left shoulder and covers part of the corresponding upper back.

"Yeah. You shouldn't doubt yourself Freed." Lucy smiled, rubbing Freed's arm. "Remember what we've told you?"

"That it's not good thinking for me?"

"Exactly." Lucy beamed. "Don't worry Freed. You're gonna nail this. I can feel it."

Freed smiled. Laxus was truly a lucky man to have someone like Lucy in his life. She was a beautiful woman with large doe-like brown eyes and waist-length blonde hair that she had tied by a large blue ribbon in a small ponytail to the right side of her head. She was quite buxom, with a curvaceous body that would make any man drool, lucky to call her theirs but she was proudly the wife of Laxus Dreyar and nothing would change that, though she did often get kicks out watching other women become jealous of her for marrying Laxus and watching other men bemoan the fact Laxus called her his.

The three of them were traveling down a long stretch of country road; Laxus driving while Lucy sat on the passenger side and Freed sat between them. They were traveling to the rural town of Ione, a two hour drive from their hometown of Magnolia where they were to meet up with an old high school buddy of Laxus' who had a job offer Freed could not possibly say no to. A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for any graduated college student with a literary degree could ever dream of.

An assistant to a well-known novelist.

"I wonder just what kind of person Rufus is." Lucy hummed, resting her head onto Freed's shoulder. "I wonder if he's really nice."

"I... I hope so." Freed whispered.

"Orga said he was." Laxus chuckled. "Though he hinted _'in small doses'_."

"What does that mean?" Lucy asked. " _'In small doses'_? How can kindness be bad?"

"Dunno." Laxus shrugged. "Yer probably gonna have to ask Nanagear when we see him."

"I haven't seen Orga since we parted ways in high school," Freed said, "I heard he got married."

"He did." Laxus answered. "Her name is Yukino."

"Yukino?!" Lucy squealed. "Oh my gosh! I haven't seen her since we graduated high school!"

"I haven't either." Freed beamed. "Where are we meeting them?"

"At a coffee shop in the town center." Laxus answered. "Yukino picked it. Says it has really good coffee."

"And Rufus Lore will be meeting us there too?"

"That I don't know." Laxus said, turning down onto another road. "Orga told me over the phone that Rufus tended to be a bit _'difficult'_ when it came to going out and socializing with people."

"Huh. That almost sounds just like Gray." Lucy giggled while Freed choked back a laugh. "I mean he's pretty bad about going out and socializing himself."

"Yeah but at least we have Vastia on our side." Laxus grinned. "There's no way Fullbuster can say no to the guy's _'puppy face'_."

* * *

 

They arrived to the town of Ione, a small town of barely 2000, a type of town where everyone knew everyone else. On first inspection, it was more of a rural farming town with houses scattered randomly along the roads, often a few feet to half a mile from one another, farmhouses 10 miles apart from each other and the shopping district, with shops, gas stations, small businesses, diners and bars all nestled in the very heart of it all. It was a type of town one wouldn't think a well-respected writer would want to hole themselves in.

"What a quaint looking town." Lucy beamed, stepping outside. "So quiet. Peaceful."

Freed jumped down from the truck cab and looked around the farming community. It was different from heavy bustling and the tightly-packed, claustrophobia-inducing, fast-paced city they had hailed from. Here, there was space, wide open spaces and vast amounts of nature surrounding the town as far as the eye would allow it to see.

"It's beautiful." Freed breathed.

"Where's Yukino?" Lucy asked, bouncing on her feet as she looked around. "And the coffee shop?"

"It's right--"

"DREYAR! YOU FINALLY MADE IT!"

Freed and Lucy jumped out of their skins at the sound of a booming voice shattering the rather quiet bustle and they were quick to look to the source of the sound, hands clutched over their hearts. Walking toward them, hand high in the air was a rather massive and muscular man, similar to Laxus in stature in a white wife beater and dark blue jeans with long, wild, almost shoulder-length mint-green hair barely kept in check by a plain black headband he had tied over his forehead. His eyes were a soft grey with linear eyebrows at his eyes' outer sides, that made him look as though he was sporting a slight grimace despite that sunny smile he had on his face. Like Laxus, he too, had tattoos but his were on his massive shoulders and biceps, each bearing a circle flanked by a pair of wings and elongated leaves and his face was shown to have four vertical black stripes covering his chin, resembling an unconventional beard.

"ORGA NANAGEAR!" Laxus boomed back. "YOU SONAVABITCH! COME 'ERE!"

The two men pulled each other into a a large bear-like hug, the kind that could easily crush the entirety of Freed's or Lucy's rib cage. They were grinning wildly, pulling away before they gave each other playful punches before they began to grapple with one another, laughing much to Freed's surprise but his attention was quickly diverted when another voice entered the air.

"LUCY! LUCY!"

Lucy and Freed turned to look at the source and found a slender, well-endowed and buxom young woman with short, light blue, silver hair with bright doe-like brown eyes and wearing a bright blue summer dress running toward them. Lucy's eyes grew wide and she held her arms out and made her way to the silver haired woman both gathering each other in a hug, squealing and jumping around in excitement.

"Oh my-- YUKINO!"

"Lucy! It's been forever!"

"I know right? How have you been?"

"Good good." Yukino smiled. "And you?"

"Everything's been good on my end." Lucy beamed before pulling back from Yukino. She held a hand out toward Freed. "Yukino-- You remember Freed, right?"

Freed shied away a bit when those warm brown eyes landed on him.

"Of course I remember Freed." Yukino smiled. "He helped tutored me in Literature. If it wasn't for him, I would never been able to graduate on time. How have you been Freed?"

Freed shrugged, a pink dusting appearing on his face as he moved to stand closer toward Lucy, hand outstretched. "G-Good... I... I guess."

Yukino smiled sympathetically as Lucy twined her fingers with Freed's own giving them a gentle and reassuring squeeze as she smiled gently at him. It seemed that Freed was still suffering from his scars, still skittish and timid, shying away from even around his closest friends and it made Yukino frown slightly. The poor thing didn't deserve what had happened to him.

"Well... Are you excited Freed?" Yukino asked, trying ease the anxious air. "I'm betting this was something you dreamed of, right?"

"A little..." Freed gave a small smile. "I'm... I'm just a little n-nervous though."

"Oh?" Yukino blinked. "How come?"

"Rufus Lore is perhaps one of the most influential and well-known novelists in all of Fiore," Freed answered, face glowing a little more brighter red. "He's declined almost any and all interviews and public showings so I have no idea who I'll actually be meeting. No one really knows him."

"I wouldn't say that." Yukino said with a chuckle. "My husband's known Rufus since they were little terrors back in junior high."

"Really?" Freed blinked. "Is... Is he nice?"

"Oh-- He is." Yukino smiled. "He's a bit quiet though. Very clean, organized-- He's got quite the memory for almost anything he comes across. He's a bit sharp-tongued and prefers his space, to be left alone with his thoughts but not even he can deny that he could use an assistant to help him out with basic things from time to time."

"He's also a major pain in the ass."

Freed jumped and whipped his head around and found himself face to face with the burly mint-haired man, suddenly feeling very small. Orga was a lot more bigger, taller then Freed last remembered him being. He flinched, muscles constricting as he felt that large hand clasp his shoulder.

"How ya' been Freed? Been forever since I last saw ya'." Orga grinned. "Heh. Yer a lot smaller and skinner then I last remember."

"I-It's n-nice to see y-you too. I'm good. T-Thank you," Freed smiled, hand trembling as he reached up to paw at Orga's hand, "Can- Can you l-let go? Please?"

Orga blinked, evidently confused by the greenette's strange response; This wasn't the Freed he knew back in high school. The Freed he knew was the most calm and collected person he ever knew and while he was oblivious to the going ons around him, which was a lot, and dedicated himself to whatever may have his focus at the time, be it his studies or a new book he picked up, he was a caring, kind and gentle soul. Freed had no problem stating his mind and voicing his opinions and was quite the stickler for rules, Orga remembered well during P.E. after he and Laxus got a little too 'heated' during a game of dodgeball, he was honor-bound, loyal and quite intelligent as Orga had no problem admitting he went to Freed for help in his schoolwork, math and literature mostly. So what happened?

Where did this quiet, timid and scared Freed come from?

He looked toward Laxus and Lucy, locking eyes with Laxus and upon the look the burly blonde sent him, a sudden understanding dawned on him-- Now he remembered.

"Oh. Right right. Sorry about that." Orga apologized, pulling his hand away. "Forgot ya don't like it when people touch ya' without yer 'okay'."

"It's fine." Freed smiled. "Thank you."

"Everyone ready for some coffee?" Orga asked, clapping his hands together. "Cait Shelter Cafe makes the best coffee here in all of Ione."

"Oooh~" Lucy cooed.

"Their macchiatos are really delicious!" Yukino said.

"Then I'll get one of those."

"Will this Rufus Lore friend of yours be meeting us there?" Laxus asked as the five of them started walking toward a large rustic log cabin.

Orga heaved a rather irratated sigh that earned him a sympathetic pat on the arm and giggle from his wife, Yukino.

"No. He isn't."

"What?" Lucy asked, eyes wide an action mirrored by Freed. "Why?"

"He's too _'busy'_." Orga sneered. "Says he needs to focus more on his new book so he told me, since getting him the assistant was **_MY_** idea, I am to bring Freed to his home if he passes _'MY'_ inspection."

" _'Pain in the ass'_ , huh?" Laxus chortled while Orga grunted.

"Yeah." Orga replied, rubbing his temples. "Hell, I don't even know if he really heard me when I was last over at his place, telling him about Freed, what kind of person Freed Justine was and why it would be easier for him to just screw the obstacles and just hire Freed."

"Because he's trying to be professional?" Lucy asked assuredly. "You said he was too busy, right?"

"Yeah, I did... Too busy being a prick." Orga snorted before he heaved another sigh and fixed Freed a reassuring look. "Look, I promise ya, Rufus' a pretty cool guy... When he ain't being stubborn mule about a range of things."

"But... But he's nice... Right?" Freed whispered, playing with his fingers a bit.

"He is." Orga assured with a smile. "He just tends to be a bit neurotic but he's a good guy. Now let's have some of that coffee, huh?"

"Yes please!"

* * *

 

"What you'll be doing for Rufus is just basically the everyday menial things for him; grocery shopping, getting the mail, newspaper, making meals, feeding the cat, cleaning the house etc, etc and blah, blah, blah."

"So I'll be more of a house keeper?" Freed asked, stirring his coffee. "Not an assistant."

"Well-- Kinda." Orga said taking a large gulp of coffee. "You'll be living in a housing that he'll provide you and you'll also be helping him out with his work, projects, help him gather any and all research he'll need for his next book and he'll want you to give him your honest criticism and feedback. No sugarcoating. He hates it when you try to avoid hurting his feelings and over-exaggerate things. So you'll still be an assistant-- Don't worry."

"Ok." Freed nodded.

"And as much as it annoys him what with his _'perfect memory'_ and all, be sure to take down notes, write down appointments and remind him of any prior commitments he may agreed to," Orga said, "He won't admit it but when he gets really focused on something, be it his next book or something, he tends to forget about everything else."

Freed nodded.

"I think that's about it." Orga hummed before turning to Yukino. "Did I forget anything babe?"

"Nope." Yukino smiled placing her hand over Orga's own. "You covered everything. It was perfect."

Orga beamed before sharing a sweet and chaste kiss with the small silver-haired woman. "Thanks hon."

"That's so weird."

"Laxus!" Lucy chided. "Don't be rude."

"It is!"

"Oh screw you, Dreyar." Orga growled. "She's my wife. I can kiss her anytime I want."

"That's not what I meant!" Laxus grunted. "I meant I find it weird that a tiny thing like Yukino would get hitched to brute like you."

"Oh yeah-- Like how I found it weird how out of all the good-lookin' guys, Lucy instead marries you?"

"Orga!"

"He started it!"

"Screw you, Nanagear!"

"Laxus! We're in public!"

"Both of you." Freed said, a small chuckle escaping his lips. "Are you not grown men but pre-schoolers?"

"Guess so." Yukino responded while she and Lucy giggled. "It seems we married schoolboys, Lucy."

"Guess we did."

"Whatever." Orga grunted, leaning back in his seat while Laxus pouted. "You ready to meet your boss?"

Freed took a deep breath, pushing his cup away from him and nodded. "I think I am."

"Great." Orga beamed, clapping his heads together. "Let me pay the bill and we'll go meet your new employer."

Freed nodded.

He couldn't wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The town of Ione is actually based on an actually town I visited to for a friend's wedding in the state of Washington. Very quiet and remote.

**Author's Note:**

> All characters belong to Hiro Mashida
> 
> All original characters are mine
> 
> All reviews much appreciated.


End file.
